Fellow firefighters said Mr. Spilman was a “fixture” of the department’s annual parade.

“He was a big part of the whole community,” Fire Chief Kevin J. Crosby said Wednesday. “Every time you saw him he would always have a smile on his face. If he wasn’t working on the parade, he would work at Bingo on Thursday nights.”

Mr. Spilman served as the Fourth of July Parade chairman for over 35 years. Mr. Spilman received his 40 years of service award in January 2013. He served as Bingo captain for over 40 years.

He was named Morristown firefighter of the year in 1982 and 1997 and also was the recipient of the Morristown Fire Department Chiefs Award in 1998.

Christopher J. Sherwin served alongside Mr. Spilman as co-chair of the event for over five years.

“I think he enjoyed interacting with the people at the parade the most,” Mr. Sherwin said. “The parade has always brought people from the area back for the summer. He would get to visit with people he hadn’t seen in years. He was very outgoing and a comedian. He did a lot for his community and then some.”

The parade will be held Friday at 10 a.m. on Main Street.

Firefighters will be collecting donations on the street to offset the cost of the parade.

At dusk tonight, the town’s annual fireworks display will be shot off behind the fire station.

As the department’s major annual fundraiser, money raised will be used to purchase fire and rescue equipment.

“Without these organizations and everyone’s donations towards the fireworks, the fire department would not be able to shoot these fireworks off every year,” Mr. Crosby said. “We thank these people for helping us keep the fireworks alive and letting the public enjoy a great show.”